Fwd: UPDATE: PA - Almost Heaven Kennel raided, 700 dogs!

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Dear Companion Pet Lovers ~

 

More coverage regarding the recent bust of Almost Heaven Kennel...

Mary O'Connor-Shaver

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Lots of media coverage – check the local Philly stations and tomorrow’s papers. (65 dead dogs were found in a freezer; 55 dogs were in need of veterinary treatment; about 700 dogs, on property, as reported by the PSPCA).

 

Article 1: State SPCA raids large PA puppy mill

October 1, 2008

http://tinyurl.com/

4odgvy - See 4 Pictures

 

By Amy Worden

INQUIRER HARRISBURG BUREAU

 

EMMAUS, Pa. -- Agents with the Pennsylvania SPCA entered a Lehigh County dog kennel shortly after 1:30 p.m. in what some believe could be the largest puppy mill raid ever in the state.

 

Agents were executing search warrants at the Almost Heaven Kennel in Emmaus, near Allentown, this afternoon after a two month undercover investigation reportedly showed inhumane treatment there.

 

The kennel specializes in breeding poodles and Labrador retrievers. In August, the business had 508 dogs at the property on Chestnut Street, state records show.

 

The owner of the kennel, Derbe Eckhart, has a long history of run ins with state and local authorities and has been convicted=2

0at least twice of animal cruelty.

 

"Early reports show that conditions are horrendous," said Howard Nelson, president of the Pennsylvania SPCA moments after agents entered the property.

 

Agents, he said, were reporting filthy living conditions and that they witnessed several dying puppies and dogs with bad skin conditions.

 

More in tomorrow’s Inquirer

 

 

 

 

Article 2: Animal agents searching Upper Milford kennel on suspicion of cruelty

 

October 1, 2008, 4:06 PM

by Dan Sheehan, The Morning Call

http://tinyurl.com/4v65et

 

Emmaus, PA - Enforcement agents from the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are searching a local kennel after receiving complaints about the health of animals raised there.

 

Around 20 agents raided Almost Heaven Kennels, 4202 Chestnut St., Upper Milford Township, around 1:15 p.m. today.

 

"It's horrible in there," said Elaine Skypala, chief program officer for the society.

 

She said once officials from the state Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement arrive, they "will be able to shut them down immediately." Dogs and cats in stacked cages were found with eye and respiratory problems. Drains were clogged with feces, she said.

 

Investigators found dead guinea pigs, some with decaying carcasses, said SPCA veterinari

an Kimberly Russell and veterinary technician Angela Messer. They found as many as 1,000 animals in all, including birds, pigs, horses, turkeys, swans and guinea hens.

 

They said many of the dogs were matted with feces. Some lactating dogs were without their puppies, they said.

 

Skypala said a warrant to search the kennel was signed after an undercover investigation allegedly found evidence suggesting mistreatment.

 

"We've had complaints for years and recently it's escalated," she said.

 

Some of the enforcement agents, who included a forensic veterinarian, were wearing bulletproof vests. "We've had people pull guns on our agents in these situations," Skypala said.

 

The society's humane officers enforce cruelty statutes. The Dog Law Bureau enforces kennel regulations and the state dog law.

 

Almost Heaven is operated by Derbe "Skip" Eckhart. The kennel holds the largest license issued by the bureau, allowing it to have hundreds of dogs each year. According to an August inspection report, Almost Heaven had 500 dogs on the premises in the preceding 12 months, but the report listed no violations of kennel regulations.

 

A crew from the cable television network Animal Planet was on hand to document the raid.

 

Skypala said officials want Eckhart to sign over the ownership of the animals in the kennel so they can be treated and eventually adopted. "Our hope is he will cooperate with us, knowing what we can do fine-wise and arrest-wise," Skypala said.

 

Eckhart has run into legal trouble with charges of animal cruelty going back to 1988. He also was suspended from the American Kennel Club for deceiving club officials and claiming he was selling purebred dogs.

 

A woman who said she was a

dog grooming client at Almost Heaven defended Eckhart and his business. "This man tries to be good and people are trying to take his livelihood away from him," said Millie Altomare of Allentown.

 

She said she's been in the kennel and said it is clean. "He does a beautiful job grooming dogs," she said.

 

 

 

 

 

Article 3: Record-Breaking Puppy Mill Raid Reported In Lehigh County

Raid Occurs At Almost Heaven Kennel In Emmaus

 

Wednesday, 01 Oct 2008, 5:55 PM EDT

WTXF-TV Fox 29 News

http://tinyurl.com/3wpv7n

 

EMMAUS, Pa. - State animal control officers said Wednesday they're in the middle of a puppy mill raid in Lehigh County that may be the largest in Pennsylvania's history.

 

The raid was ongoing Wednesday night at the Almost Heaven Kennel in Emmaus, just south of Allentown.

 

Fox 29's Sharon Crowley reported from the scene that mostly dogs are on the property of the breeder, which has been around for nearly 20 years. But there are also monkeys, horses and other kinds of animals on the grounds.

 

Fox 29 News has learned that one of the three property owners has been in trouble with the humane society before, having been arrested twice on animal cruelty charges.

 

Animal control officers said they were executing search warrants after an undercover investigation on the property

 

Some 800 animals were found living in over-crowded, unsanitary conditions, according to state officials.

 

"Were you running a puppy mill here?" Crowley asked one man, who identified himself as a property owner there.

 

"No," the man answered, picking up a camera tripod and moving it. "You have to leave right now."

 

Asked what was going on, the man said, "There is nothing going on here. There's nothing going on here."

 

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the property owners will be facing animal cruelty charges.

 

The SPCA said it was acting on a tip when the undercover investigation began, and they later purchased sick puppies from the breeder before they were able to get a search warrant from a judge.

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About 100 animals, which are the sickest of those that are on the property, will be removed from the grounds Wednesday night and taken to shelters around the state for care, Crowley reported.

 

The SPCA said it didn't have capacity to take 800 animals.

 

Officials weren't yet saying whether the kennel will be allowed to remain open. The state dog warden, who has the capacity to make that decision, was at the site Wednesday and investigating.

 

Stay tuned to Fox 29 News and more details on MyFoxPhilly.com for more on this developing story.